Learning how to learn in a different way "Education is...

BEST BETS

January 31, 2002|By Tricia Bishop

Learning how to learn in a different way

"Education is one of the most beautiful and liberating things we can pursue in our lives," Jonathan Mooney and David Cole write in the introduction to their book Learning Outside the Lines (Simon & Schuster, $33), "but too often it is approached as a restrictive, punitive, linear, and moralistic act."

As for the pursuit of their own education, the authors add, "We needed an unconventional approach that respected our differences and individual goals. We were forced to create this approach for ourselves because we couldn't find it elsewhere."

The approach they're referring to is one that makes allowances for different styles of learning. Mooney and Cole met at Brown University. Both were transfer students and both had trouble learning through traditional means: Mooney has dyslexia, a disorder affecting language comprehension, and Cole has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which makes concentration and memorization difficult.

The pair pooled their thoughts and strategies and together developed the book, which acts as an alternative learning guide for people with learning difficulties, or as a textbook for those interested in exploring varying methods and means of acquiring an education.

Mooney will appear at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Friends School of Baltimore (5114 N. Charles St.) to share his experiences and advice with parents and kids ages 11 and older. Call 410-252-9422 or 410-666-7863.